R&B stars Usher and Chris Brown both expressed their extreme sorrow over the sudden death of Michael Jackson. The King of Pop was noted as the inspiration for Usher and Brown, who have both been compared to the late singer.

"This loss has deeply saddened me," Usher said of the man he once shared the stage with. " It is with a heavy heart I composed this statement. May God cover you, Michael. We all lift your name up in prayer. I pray for the entire Jackson family, particularly Michael's mother, children and all his fans that loved him so much. I would not be the artist, performer and philanthropist I am today without the influence of Michael. I have great admiration and respect for him, and I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to meet and perform with such a great entertainer, who in so many ways transcended the culture. He broke barriers, he changed radio formats! With music, he made it possible for people like Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama to impact the mainstream world. His legacy is unparalleled. Michael Jackson will never be forgotten."
Brown, who Jackson spoke fondly of, has most notably been compared to the pop star because of his dance move, expressed his sorrow. "Michael Jackson is the reason why I do music and why I am an entertainer," Brown said in a statement. " I am devastated by this great loss, and I will continue to be humbled and inspired by his legacy. My prayers are with his family. Michael will be deeply missed, but never forgotten. He's the greatest ... the best ever. No one will ever be better."


The 20-year-old Virginia native performed a tribute to the late singer at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2008. Dressed in a replica of Jackson's 'Thriller' jacket, Brown took the stage recreating the ground breaking video, complete with exquisite dance moves.